Collecting Stories

All photos have a story connected to them that gives meaning and importance to the photograph itself as a memory and artifact. Collecting and preserving these stories is just as important as preserving the physical photographs.

     ☐ Interview family members and document stories

You may already know the stories that go with your photos. If so, document them by recording and writing them down. Use the “stories” column of your inventory to connect family narratives with the photos that go with them (see the “Organizing Your Collection” section). If you don’t already know the stories, or if there are gaps in your knowledge, interview your family members, using the photos as a guide.

Sample questions to spark conversation:

  • What is going on in this photo?
  • Can you think of any traditions or stories that we pass on in our family?
  • How far back do our traditions/stories date?
  • Where did our family originate?
  • Has our family moved to other places over time?
  • Did anyone in our family ever speak a language other than English while living in the US?
  • What were some of our ancestors’ occupations?
  • Did anyone in our family participate in important events or struggles?
  • What were some of the major challenges that family members had to face in order to be here today?

     ☐ Consider stories within a broader historical context

Storytelling, sharing personal experiences, and participating in traditions ties individuals and family units to the larger cultural heritage history and landscape, as we all fit within the context of our time period and society. Recognizing these connections may not only provide individuals with an increased sense of identity, but can bring awareness to the roles that individuals play in shaping history and cultures. While you’re gathering your family’s stories, think about and investigate the wider cultural and social conditions of the time of the photo; locally, nationwide, and on a global level.

Example of connecting to broader context:

 

Description: This photo was taken in Palestine, Texas in May 1937, and shows three young girls standing in front of a dogwood tree. Two of the girls are barefoot and the tallest girl has a cast on one arm.

Family Story: Verna (the youngest), her older sister Bernice, and their cousin Dolores (middle) would play outside their family’s house in Palestine,Texas, where it was so hot in the summer that they hated wearing shoes. Her sister had broken her arm while climbing a tree. The girls stopped to pose for a photo in front of the dogwood tree in the front yard, which became a common backdrop for a variety of family photos over the years.

Local: The Great Depression was felt strongly in Texas, where many people worked in farming and suffered from the dust bowl as well as general economic downturn. Additionally, when this photo was taken, just 60 miles away, a natural gas explosion at a school killed over 300 students and teachers in one of the worst school tragedies in Texas.

National: This photo was taken just 5 years after the lowest point of the Great Depression, when millions of people were unemployed and multitudes of banks had failed, with many Americans struggling financially. Franklin D. Roosevelt had just recently been re-elected and was promoting the second New Deal.

Global: Repercussions of the Depression were felt across the globe, while German forces were strengthening leading up to World War I. 1937 is also the year that Amelia Earhart disappeared.

 

 

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You made it to the finish line!!! Not only are your physical photographs stored safely and documented, you also have gathered a collection of stories to go with them. When future generations look at these images of their ancestors, they’ll have a better idea of who these people were and what their lives were like, in addition to what they looked like. We all have stories to tell that contribute to our collective histories and cultures. To go further with discovering your stories and sharing them with others, continue on.

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     ☐ Optional: Map out family tree

As you gather and document family names, places, and dates, consider mapping out your family tree as another way to contextualize your photo collection. You can either draw your tree by hand, type it up on the computer, or use an online tool like “Family Echo.”

Genealogy Research Resources:

Example of family history information hidden in social media posts:

Additional Resources:

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